Devices for assembling sandwiches and cutting sandwiches are well known and have been in use for many years. For example, a U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,376 of Germinario discloses a sandwich assembly jig. As disclosed therein, a jig with multiple units each for assembling and slicing two sandwiches at a time has a base with four upstanding walls for each unit surrounding a generally rectangular volume shaped to receive two pairs of bread slices and a filling between each pair. At two diagonal corners of the walls there are narrow, aligned slits receiving and guiding a knife for slicing the two sandwiches into two symmetrical pairs of stacked halves. The other diagonal corners are relatively widely spaced to form finger accesses for gripping the sliced sandwiches. A hollow in the base at the other corners further facilitates finger access. A removable cutting slab lying between the walls permits lifting both sandwiches at once.
A more recent U.S. patent of Donoghu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,800 discloses a club sandwich cutter. As disclosed therein, a cutter for manually cutting club sandwiches into four wedge or triangular sections. The cutter has a flat base and a cutting blade assembly mounted to the base. The cutting blade assembly comprises four blades arranged in cruciform pattern, a handle, and a shaft connecting the blades to the handle. A cover guard preventing direct contact with the blades from above is slideably mounted on the shaft, and urged into proximity with the blades by a spring. The cover guard has holes enabling decorative toothpicks to be inserted into the center of each section of a cut sandwich. A guide constrains the cutting blade assembly to move only vertically and reciprocatably relative to the base, and prevents rotation about the longitudinal axis of the shaft. A resilient member holds the cutting blade assembly in an elevated “ready” position above the base. Stops are selectively mounted on the base to enable centering sandwiches made from different standard bread loaf dimensions on the base.
Finally a method for making sandwiches is disclosed in a U.S. patent of Jacobbi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,928. As disclosed, an article for making sandwiches has a floor and a pair of side walls and is open along the top and at least one end is sized to have a floor width which is equal substantially to the width of a sandwich to be made therewith and a side wall height which is at least equal to about the height of the sandwich to be made therein. A bread portion of a sandwich is placed on the floor and between the sidewalls, and additional sandwich portions are stacked on the bread portion and between the side walls whereby the side walls constrain the sandwich over its height from falling apart as it is being stacked so that sandwiches may be made faster and with greater efficiency.
Notwithstanding the above, it is presently believed that there is a need and a potential commercial market for an improved sandwich holder and knife guide in accordance with the present invention. There should be a need and a potential market for an improved sandwich holder and knife guide because they facilitate cutting sandwiches in half or in smaller portions while maintaining the ingredients in place and at the same time protecting the hands and fingers from being inadvertently cut. Further, the device in accordance with the present invention facilitates cleaning and/or sharpening a knife and cleaning the entire device without a danger of cutting one's hands. Further, the sandwich holder and knife guide in accordance with the present invention includes a transparent plastic dome that is defined by a supporting frame for covering a sandwich during a cutting process that protects the hands and fingers of a user. It is further believed that the sandwich holder and knife guide can be safely used by children with proper supervision and are useful in homes, restaurants, schools and cafeterias and can be used to cut burgers of different sizes and even used to cut wrapped burgers that have been wrapped in paper or plastic wrap.